Thomas Martin Richards

Thomas Martin Richards (“Tom”) was born near Vienna, one of two boys. He was very much a self made man, being sent to school in England at a young age without parents in the country. He learnt the language and developed the desire to help others from an early age. He was intelligent, hardworking, good at sport, and a private individual with a mischievous sense of humour. He studied medicine at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, where he graduated in 1954, gaining the special surgery prize (obstetrics) in his final year. He also regularly played hockey, tennis, and squash for the hospital, which stood him in good stead when looking for a place to settle and become a town GP. He had also been in the army and a ship’s surgeon for a while and settled in England, …